Workstation and Cleaning Robot System

Abstract

This application discloses a workstation and a cleaning robot system. The workstation of the cleaning robot includes: a workstation body with a water inlet and a wastewater inlet on its docking surface for docking with the cleaning robot; a wastewater discharge assembly including a wastewater collection box disposed on the workstation body to receive wastewater discharged by the cleaning robot and a wastewater extraction mechanism connected to the wastewater collection box to extract the wastewater from the workstation; the wastewater collection box including a box body located within the workstation body and a wastewater receiving portion extending out of the wastewater inlet; and a water supply assembly including an inlet pipe for receiving external water and a water filling pipe and a cleaning pipe connected to the inlet pipe; the water filling pipe including a water filling portion extending out of the water filling inlet to add water to the cleaning robot, and the cleaning pipe including a water outlet portion extending into the box body to spray clean water to clean the wastewater collection box.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of cleaning robots, and more particularly to a workstation and a cleaning robot system. Background Technology

[0002] Maintaining clean floor surfaces in large areas such as commercial, industrial, institutional, and public buildings is a continuous and time-consuming process. With the development of automation and artificial intelligence, cleaning robots are widely used in these applications to replace manual cleaning of floor surfaces, including tiles, stone, bricks, wood, concrete, carpets, and other common surfaces.

[0003] To ensure that cleaning robots can perform cleaning tasks on surfaces continuously and efficiently, workstations are typically used to help them charge, refill water, or clean wastewater. For example, when a cleaning robot needs water, it can dock with a workstation, which can then deliver clean water from its water tank to the robot. Similarly, when the robot's wastewater tank needs cleaning, it can dock with a workstation to drain the wastewater from the robot.

[0004] In related technologies, a wastewater tank is typically installed in the workstation to collect wastewater, which is then discharged using a pumping mechanism. However, since wastewater usually contains solid impurities such as debris, pebbles, and sand, the deposition of these solid impurities in the wastewater tank can lead to problems such as the tank becoming dirty, clogged, producing odors, and being difficult to clean.

[0005] Therefore, designing a workstation capable of cleaning sewage tanks is a pressing technical problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the shortcomings of the above-mentioned related technologies, the purpose of this application is to provide a workstation and cleaning robot system to overcome the technical problem of how to design a workstation capable of cleaning sewage tanks in the above-mentioned related technologies.

[0007] To achieve the above and other related objectives, the first aspect of this application provides a workstation for a cleaning robot, comprising: a workstation body having a water inlet and a wastewater inlet on its docking surface for docking with the cleaning robot; a wastewater discharge assembly including a wastewater collection box disposed on the workstation body for receiving wastewater discharged by the cleaning robot and a wastewater extraction mechanism connected to the wastewater collection box for extracting the wastewater from the workstation, the wastewater collection box including a box body located within the workstation body and a wastewater receiving portion extending out of the wastewater inlet; and a water supply assembly including an inlet pipe for receiving external water and a water filling pipe and a cleaning pipe connected to the inlet pipe, the water filling pipe including a water filling portion extending out of the water filling inlet for adding water to the cleaning robot, and the cleaning pipe including a water outlet portion extending into the box body for spraying clean water to clean the wastewater collection box.

[0008] In some examples of the first aspect, the box body includes a box bottom and sidewalls forming a receiving space around the box bottom for receiving the wastewater, the box bottom having a sloping area, and the water outlet and the sludge pumping mechanism being respectively disposed at the top and bottom of the sloping area.

[0009] In some examples of the first aspect, the box bottom also has a planar region continuously connected to the bottom of the slope region, and the sludge pumping mechanism includes a sludge pump disposed in the planar region and a sludge outlet pipe communicating with the sludge pump and extending out of the workstation body.

[0010] In some examples of the first aspect, a pull-out opening is provided on the back of the workstation body, through which the sludge collection box can be pulled out to leave the workstation body or pushed into the workstation body from the pull-out opening and close the pull-out opening.

[0011] In some examples of the first aspect, the sewage discharge assembly further includes an electrical connection portion connected to the sewage pumping mechanism and electrically connected in a pluggable manner to an auxiliary control device located within the workstation body, with a support plate disposed on the top of the housing and the electrical connection portion disposed on the support plate.

[0012] In some examples of the first aspect, the sludge suction mechanism is disposed within the housing, and a passageway is provided on the support plate for the sludge discharge pipe of the sludge suction mechanism to pass through and extend out of the workstation body.

[0013] In some examples of the first aspect, the workstation body has a pull-out channel on the side corresponding to the sludge suction mechanism, the pull-out channel being used for the passage of the sludge discharge pipe of the sludge suction mechanism when the sludge collection box is pulled out or pushed in.

[0014] In some examples of the first aspect, the support plate is further provided with a vertical plate corresponding to the pull-out channel, the vertical plate being used to fix the sewage outlet pipe and close the pull-out channel.

[0015] In some examples of the first aspect, the back of the workstation body is provided with a snap-fit ​​structure for positioning the sludge collection box pushed into the workstation body, corresponding to the pull-out opening.

[0016] In some examples of the first aspect, the sewage discharge assembly further includes a liquid level detection mechanism connected to the electrical connection.

[0017] In some examples of the first aspect, the water inlet and the waste inlet are located at the upper and lower parts of the mating surface, respectively, and a charging interface is also provided between the water inlet and the waste inlet.

[0018] In some examples of the first aspect, the top of the workstation body is isolated to form a first electrical control space for setting up a power supply and a second electrical control space for setting up a main control device electrically connected to the charging interface. The power supply is connected to an external power source via a power supply cable located on the side of the workstation body to supply power to the main control device.

[0019] In some examples of the first aspect, the top of the workstation body is provided with a first sealing plate that can open the first electrical control space and a second sealing plate that can open the second electrical control space.

[0020] In some examples of the first aspect, the second enclosure plate is provided with an indicator light that is electrically connected to the main control device.

[0021] In some examples of the first aspect, a third electrical control space is provided on one side below the first electrical control space, the third electrical control space being used to house an auxiliary control device electrically connected to the main control device to control the operation of the sewage discharge assembly and the water supply assembly.

[0022] In some examples of the first aspect, an electrical isolation unit is provided in the third electrical control space to isolate strong and weak currents.

[0023] In some examples of the first aspect, the workstation body is provided with an access door that can be opened or closed with a key, corresponding to the third electronically controlled space.

[0024] In some examples of the first aspect, the water supply assembly also includes a cleaning gun disposed on one side of the workstation body and connected to the water inlet pipe.

[0025] In some examples of the first aspect, a fixing plate is vertically mounted on the workstation body, and a clamping part for fixing the cleaning gun is provided on the upper part of the fixing plate.

[0026] In some examples of the first aspect, an overflow detection component is also included, which is placed on the ground near the workstation body.

[0027] A second aspect of this application provides a cleaning robot system, comprising: a cleaning robot, including a mobile device disposed at the bottom of the cleaning robot, a cleaning device for performing cleaning operations, and a control device for controlling the mobile device and the cleaning device to work together; and a workstation as described in the first aspect of this application, for docking with the cleaning robot to provide clean water to the cleaning robot and to clean the wastewater discharged by the cleaning robot.

[0028] In summary, the workstation and cleaning robot system provided in this application achieves cleaning of the sludge collection box by setting a sludge suction mechanism in the workstation that can extract sewage from the sludge collection box and a water supply component that can spray clean water to clean the sludge collection box in the workstation, thereby reducing the deposition of solid impurities in the sludge collection box. Furthermore, the sludge collection box can be thoroughly cleaned by pulling it out of the workstation body. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The specific features involved in this application are shown in the appended claims. A better understanding of the features and advantages of this application can be achieved by referring to the exemplary embodiments and accompanying drawings described in detail below. A brief description of the drawings is as follows:

[0030] Figure 1 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the workstation of a cleaning robot according to one embodiment of this application.

[0031] Figure 2 This application is displayed. Figure 1 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the internal structure of the workstation from a rear view.

[0032] Figure 3 This application is displayed. Figure 1 The diagram shows the split structure of the workstation from a rear view.

[0033] Figure 4 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a sewage discharge component in one embodiment of this application.

[0034] Figure 5 This application is displayed. Figure 4 A cross-sectional structural diagram of the sewage discharge component in the embodiment.

[0035] Figure 6 This application is displayed. Figure 1 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the workstation from a rear view.

[0036] Figure 7The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the internal structure of a cleaning robot workstation in another embodiment of this application, viewed from a rear side.

[0037] Figure 8 This application is displayed. Figure 7 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the workstation after removing the right side of the workstation body. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand the advantages and technical effects of this application from the content disclosed in this specification. In the following description, some embodiments may be referenced to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that other embodiments not shown in the drawings may also be used, and changes in specific structures, parts or mechanisms, components, and operations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. The following detailed description should not be considered limiting, and the scope of the embodiments of this application is limited only by the claims published in this application. The terminology used herein is for describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit this application.

[0039] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, or third, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements or parameters in some embodiments, these elements or parameters should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element or parameter from another, and not to define the order, priority, or importance of multiple elements. For example, a first electrical control space may be referred to as a second electrical control space, and similarly, a second electrical control space may be referred to as a first electrical control space, without departing from the scope of the various described embodiments. Both the first electrical control space and the second electrical control space are describing the same electrical control space, but they are not the same electrical control space unless the context otherwise clearly indicates otherwise.

[0040] It should also be understood that when an element, such as a layer, region, or substrate, is referred to as being "on" another element or extending "on" another element, the element may be directly on or directly extending onto the other element, or intermediate elements may be present. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" another element or "directly extending onto" another element, no intermediate elements are present. It will also be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "attached" to another element, it may be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or intermediate elements may be present. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, no intermediate elements are present. Furthermore, the term "coupled" generally means physical, mechanical, magnetic, and / or electrical coupling or connection, and in the absence of specific contrasting language, the presence of intermediate elements between coupled or associated items is not excluded.

[0041] Relative terms such as “below,” “above,” “upper,” “lower,” “horizontal,” or “vertical” may be used herein to describe the relationship between one element, layer, or region and another element, layer, or region illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that these terms are intended to cover different device orientations other than those depicted in the figures. In this application, “vertical,” “horizontal,” and “parallel” are defined as including cases within ±10% of the standard definition. For example, vertical typically refers to an angle of 90° relative to a reference line, but in this application, vertical refers to cases including those within 80° to 100°. Unless otherwise expressly stated, comparative quantitative terms (such as “above” and “below”) are intended to cover the concept of equality. As an example, “above” can mean not only “greater than” in a mathematical sense but also “equal to.”

[0042] As described in the background art, how to design a workstation that can clean the sewage tank is an urgent technical problem to be solved. In view of this, the workstation and cleaning robot system provided in this application achieve the cleaning of the sewage tank by setting a sewage suction mechanism in the workstation that can extract sewage from the sewage collection box and a water supply component that can spray clean water to clean the sewage collection box in the workstation, thereby reducing the deposition of solid impurities in the sewage collection box.

[0043] The cleaning robot described in this application is a robot capable of cleaning surfaces, including a clean water tank and a wastewater tank. Further, the cleaning robot includes a clean water inlet connected to the clean water tank for receiving externally added water and a wastewater outlet connected to the wastewater tank for discharging wastewater externally. In some application scenarios, the cleaning robot may also be referred to as a mobile robot, floor scrubbing robot, floor cleaning machine, automatic floor mopping machine, etc. In some examples, the cleaning robot can be controlled by a user to complete the cleaning task, such as by an operator pushing, pulling, or driving the cleaning robot to complete the cleaning task; or by an operator controlling the cleaning robot to perform its work via a handheld remote control or an application installed on a smart terminal. In other examples, the cleaning robot can also complete the cleaning task autonomously, such as by running pre-programmed programs or rules. In the following embodiments of this application, a cleaning robot capable of autonomous positioning and navigation and autonomously completing cleaning tasks will be used as an example for explanation.

[0044] The workstation for the cleaning robot described in this application is a device or apparatus for the cleaning robot to dock, providing services such as sewage discharge and water refill. Depending on the functions and application scenarios, the workstation may also be referred to as a base station, charging station, charging pile, recycling station, water exchange station, etc. The workstation can perform various service tasks for the cleaning robot by running pre-programmed procedures or rules, and also allows operators to intervene and operate the workstation.

[0045] The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application are clearly and completely described. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments and technical effects obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present application. The terms "an embodiment," "implementation," or similar wording used throughout this specification mean that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described together with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, the appearance of the phrases "in an embodiment," "in an embodiment," and similar wording throughout this specification may (but does not necessarily) refer to the same embodiment.

[0046] Please see Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 1 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the workstation of a cleaning robot according to one embodiment of this application. Figure 2 This application is displayed. Figure 1 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the internal structure of the workstation from a rear view. Figure 3 This application is displayed. Figure 1 The diagram shown is a split structure of the workstation from a rear view. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the workstation of the cleaning robot (hereinafter referred to as the workstation) includes a workstation body 1, a sewage discharge component 2, and a water supply component 3. The sewage discharge component 2 includes a sewage collection box 20 disposed on the workstation body 1 to receive sewage discharged by the cleaning robot, and a sewage suction mechanism 21 connected to the sewage collection box 20 to pump the sewage out of the workstation. The water supply component 3 includes a water inlet pipe 30 for receiving external water, a water filling pipe 31 connected to the water inlet pipe 30 for adding water to the cleaning robot, and a cleaning pipe 32 for spraying clean water to clean the sewage collection box.

[0047] Specifically, after the cleaning robot docks with the workstation, the cleaning robot can discharge the sewage in its sewage tank into the sewage collection box 20 of the sewage discharge component 2 so that the sewage suction mechanism 21 of the sewage discharge component 2 can pump the sewage out of the workstation. The water supply component 3 in the workstation of the cleaning robot can add water to the clean water tank of the cleaning robot through the water supply pipe 31, and the cleaning pipe 32 in the water supply component 3 can spray clean water into the sewage collection box 20 to clean the sewage collection box 20.

[0048] Furthermore, for ease of description and understanding, in this application, the side of the workstation body used for docking with the cleaning robot is defined as the docking surface of the workstation body (e.g., Figure 1 The front surface of the workstation body), correspondingly, the side opposite to the mating surface is defined as the back surface of the workstation body (e.g., the front surface of the workstation body). Figure 1 (Rear surface of the workstation body). With the mating surface as the front view, the left surface of the workstation body is positioned as the left side of the workstation body, the right surface of the workstation body is positioned as the right side of the workstation body, the upper surface of the workstation body is positioned as the upper side of the workstation body, and the lower surface of the workstation body is positioned as the lower side of the workstation body.

[0049] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 3 The workstation body 1 has a water inlet 100 and a waste inlet 101 on its mating surface 10. Both the water inlet 100 and the waste inlet 101 are openings on the mating surface 10. The shape and size of the water inlet 100 are adapted to the shape and size of the water inlet 310 in the water supply assembly 3, so that the water inlet 310 can extend to the outside of the workstation body 1 through the water inlet 100. Similarly, the shape and size of the waste inlet 101 are adapted to the shape and size of the waste inlet 201 in the waste discharge assembly 2, so that the waste inlet 201 can extend to the outside of the workstation body 1 through the waste inlet 101.

[0050] In one embodiment, the height positions of the water inlet 100 and the waste inlet 101 can be configured corresponding to the height positions of the clean water inlet and the waste outlet of the cleaning robot, so that the water inlet portion 310 extending from the water inlet 100 can connect with the clean water inlet of the cleaning robot, and the waste inlet portion 201 extending from the waste inlet 101 can connect with the waste outlet of the cleaning robot. For example, if the clean water inlet of the cleaning robot is located at its upper part and the waste outlet of the cleaning robot is located at its lower part, correspondingly, the water inlet 100 is located at the upper part of the docking surface 10 and the waste inlet 101 is located at the lower part of the docking surface 10. In one example, the relative positional relationship between the water inlet 100 and the waste inlet 101 is the same as the relative positional relationship between the clean water inlet and the waste outlet of the cleaning robot, so that the water inlet portion 310 connects with the clean water inlet while the waste inlet portion 201 connects with the waste outlet. In other examples, the relative positional relationship between the water inlet 100 and the waste inlet 101 may also be different from the relative positional relationship between the clean water inlet and the waste outlet of the cleaning robot. The cleaning robot only needs to dock with the water inlet 310 and the waste inlet 201 respectively.

[0051] Please see Figure 1 and combined Figure 3 A charging interface 40 is provided between the water inlet 100 and the waste outlet 101. The charging interface 40 is used to connect with a matching charging interface on the cleaning robot to charge the cleaning robot. In one example, the charging interface 40 is a protruding pin, and the robot's charging interface is a slot or metal plate that matches the pin. In one embodiment, a protective cover 400 is also provided on the mating surface to cover the charging interface 40, the protective cover 400 being used to protect the charging interface 40 and prevent accidental contact. Specifically, as shown... Figure 1 As shown, the protective cover 400 is also provided with a charging opening 4000 so that the charging interface of the cleaning robot can be connected to the charging interface 40 through the charging opening 4000.

[0052] Please see Figure 4 and combined Figure 3 , Figure 4 The diagram shows a schematic of the sewage discharge assembly in one embodiment of this application. As shown, the sewage discharge assembly 2 includes a sewage collection box 20 and a sewage extraction mechanism 21 connected to the sewage collection box 20 to extract the sewage from the workstation. The sewage collection box 20 is disposed on the workstation body 1 to receive the sewage discharged by the cleaning robot. Specifically, the sewage collection box 20 includes a box body 200 located within the workstation body 1 and a sewage receiving portion 201 extending from the sewage receiving port 101, so that the sewage received by the sewage receiving portion 201 can flow into the box body 200 through the sewage receiving portion 201.

[0053] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 5 and combined Figure 2 , Figure 5 This application is displayed. Figure 4 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the sewage discharge assembly of the embodiment is shown in the figure. The sewage pumping mechanism 21 includes a sewage pump 210 and a sewage outlet pipe 211 that connects to the sewage pump 210 and extends out of the workstation body 1. The sewage pump 210 can pump sewage from the sewage collection box 20 to the sewage outlet pipe 211, and the sewage is discharged from the workstation body 1 through the sewage outlet pipe 211 (e.g., discharging sewage into the building's sewage system). In some examples, the sewage pump is exemplified as a submersible sewage pump, a self-priming sewage pump, a cutting-type sewage pump, a centrifugal sewage pump, a combination pump of a vacuum pump and a drainage pump, a diaphragm pump, or a screw pump, etc.

[0054] like Figure 4 As shown, the box body 200 includes a box bottom 2000 and side walls 2001. The side walls 2001 surround the box bottom 2000 to form a receiving space 22 for containing sewage. For example, the side walls 2001 can be configured as an integral structure formed by splicing multiple surfaces, or as a single curved surface.

[0055] In one embodiment, such as Figure 5 As shown, the bottom of the box 2000 has a sloping area 20001. When sewage enters the containing space 22, under the action of gravity, the sewage can flow along the sloping area 20001 towards the bottom. Therefore, by positioning the sewage suction mechanism 21 corresponding to the bottom of the sloping area 20001, it is easier for the sewage flowing to the bottom to be extracted from the workstation. For example, the sewage suction mechanism 21 can be positioned adjacent to the bottom of the sloping area 20001. In one example, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the box bottom 2000, in addition to including the ramp region 20001, may further include a flat region 20002 continuously connected to the bottom of the ramp region 20001. Therefore, the sludge suction mechanism 21 can be directly disposed on the flat region 20002 or disposed on the upper side of the flat region 20002. For example, the sludge suction pump 210 of the sludge suction mechanism 21 can be as follows: Figure 5 The configuration shown is on the planar region 20002, but it can also be configured on the side wall 2001 near the planar region 20002, or fixed to the workstation body near the planar region 20002. Please continue reading. Figure 5 and combined Figure 2In order to enable the clean water sprayed from the water outlet 320 in the water supply assembly 3 to fully clean the bottom of the box 2000 by gravity, the water outlet 320 can be set to correspond to the top of the slope area 20001, for example, the water outlet 320 can be arranged on the upper side of the top of the slope area 20001.

[0056] In one embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, the wastewater receiving part 201 is disposed on the housing 220 and has a wastewater outlet 2010 communicating with the receiving space 22, so that wastewater received by the wastewater receiving part 201 can be discharged into the receiving space 22 through the wastewater outlet 2010. For example, the wastewater receiving part 201 may be located on the side wall 2001 on the front side of the bottom 2000 of the housing, so that when the housing 220 is placed in the workstation body, the wastewater receiving part 201 can extend out of the wastewater outlet.

[0057] In one embodiment, the sludge collection box is a pull-out type. For example, such as... Figure 3 As shown, a pull-out opening 110 is provided on the back side 11 of the workstation body 1. The sludge collection box 20 can be pulled out of the pull-out opening 110 to leave the workstation body 1 or pushed into the workstation body 1 from the pull-out opening 110 and close the pull-out opening 110. The pull-out opening 110 is an opening formed on the back side 11. The shape and size of this opening match the shape and size of the sludge collection box 20, so that the sludge collection box 20 can be pulled out or pushed into the pull-out opening 110, and when the sludge collection box 20 is pushed in, the rear surface of the sludge collection box 20 can close the pull-out opening 110, for example, in the shape of... Figure 6 The closed state is shown. It should be noted that in the implementation where the sludge suction mechanism 21 is configured on the sludge collection box 20, the sludge collection box 20 can be as follows: Figure 3 The sludge suction mechanism 21, which is shown, moves synchronously, meaning the entire sludge discharge assembly can be a pull-out type. In other embodiments, the sludge collection box can also be a non-pull-out type, fixedly installed inside the workstation body. Further, in one embodiment, to facilitate the removal of the sludge collection box 20, the rear surface of the sludge collection box 20 is also provided with... Figure 6 The handle 20010 shown is for the user to grip.

[0058] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 6The back of the workstation body 1 is provided with a latching structure 12 corresponding to the pull-out opening for positioning the sludge collection box 20 that is pushed into the workstation body 1. Specifically, after the sludge collection box 20 is pushed into the workstation body 1, the latching structure 12 can position the sludge collection box 20 in the workstation body 1. Taking the example of two threaded buckle structures 12 respectively disposed on the left and right sides of the pull-out opening, the buckle structure 12 is screwed into the workstation body 1 on the back side corresponding to the left and right sides of the pull-out opening. After the sludge collection box 20 is pushed into the workstation body 1, the user can rotate the buckle structure 12 that passes through the sludge collection box 20 to screw the buckle structure 12 into the threaded hole, thereby positioning the sludge collection box 20. It should be noted that when the user needs to pull out the sludge collection box 20, the user screws the buckle structure 12 out of the threaded hole to allow the sludge collection box 20 to be pulled out. When the user pulls out the sludge collection box 20, the buckle structure 12 can move synchronously with the sludge collection box 20. In other embodiments, the number of the latching structures may be one or more than two. The latching structure may also be a rotary pressure plate type latch, a spring return type latch, or other types of latching structures. The latching structure may also be fixedly installed on the back of the workstation body (i.e., when the sludge collection box is pulled out, the latching structure does not move synchronously with the sludge collection box).

[0059] In one embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, the sewage discharge assembly 2 also includes an electrical connection part 23 connected to the sewage suction mechanism 21. The electrical connection part 23 is electrically connected to the sewage suction mechanism 21 and is also electrically connected in a pluggable manner to an auxiliary control device located within the workstation body. Thus, when the sewage collection box 20 needs to be removed, it is only necessary to disconnect the connection line between the electrical connection part 23 and the auxiliary control device from the electrical connection part 23. The electrical connection part 23 includes a pluggable interface, through which the electrical connection part 23 is electrically connected in a pluggable manner to the auxiliary control device, which will be described in detail later.

[0060] To achieve water and electricity separation in the sludge collection box 20 and prevent sewage from soaking or corroding the wiring, a support plate 2002 is also provided on the top of the sludge collection box 20, and the electrical connection part 23 can be disposed on the support plate 2002. It should be noted that although the above embodiment takes the connection part to the auxiliary control device as an example, it is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the electrical connection part can also be directly electrically connected to the main control device in subsequent embodiments.

[0061] Please see Figure 4 and combined Figure 5As shown in the figure, in the embodiment where the sludge suction mechanism 21 is located within the housing 200, a passageway 20020 is provided on the support plate 2002 to allow the sludge discharge pipe 211 of the sludge suction mechanism 21 to pass through and extend out of the workstation body. To facilitate the smooth passage of the sludge discharge pipe 211 through the workstation body when the sludge collection box 20 is pulled out or pushed in, please refer to... Figure 3 and combined Figure 5 As shown in the figure, a pull-out channel 13 is provided on the side of the workstation body 1. The pull-out channel 13 is used for the passage of the sewage discharge pipe 211 of the sewage suction mechanism 21 when the sewage collection box 20 is pulled out or pushed in. Further, in one embodiment, as... Figure 4 As shown, a vertical plate 2003 corresponding to the pull-out channel 13 is also provided on the support plate 2002. The vertical plate 2003 is used to fix the sewage outlet pipe 211 and close the pull-out channel 13. For example, the support plate 2002 has a vertical plate 2003 extending in the vertical direction at one end near the sewage outlet pipe 211, and the vertical plate 2003 has a through hole for the sewage outlet pipe 211 to pass through. The size of the vertical plate 2003 matches the size of the pull-out channel 13 so that the vertical plate 2003 can close the pull-out channel 13 after the sewage collection box 20 is pushed into the workstation body 1.

[0062] In some embodiments, the support plate 2002 and the vertical plate 2003 can be two different regions on an integrally formed plate structure (e.g., an L-shaped plate structure), or they can be two independent plate structures that can be assembled and connected.

[0063] In order to detect the liquid level in the collection box, in one embodiment, the sewage discharge assembly 2 further includes a liquid level detection mechanism 24, which is connected to the electrical connection part 23. Examples of the liquid level detection mechanism 24 include a mechanical liquid level detection mechanism, an electrode liquid level detection mechanism, an infrared liquid level detection mechanism, a capacitive liquid level detection mechanism, or a pressure liquid level detection mechanism, etc.

[0064] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 2 The water supply assembly 3 includes an inlet pipe 30 for receiving external water, and a water filling pipe 31 and a cleaning pipe 32 connecting the inlet pipe 30. The cleaning pipe 32 includes an outlet 320 extending into the housing to spray clean water to clean the sludge collection box. The location of the outlet 320 is the same as or similar to that described above, and will not be repeated here. Please continue reading. Figure 2 and combined Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the water supply pipe 31 includes a water supply section 310 extending from the water inlet 100 to supply water to the cleaning robot.

[0065] In one embodiment, valves are correspondingly configured on the water inlet pipe 30, water filling pipe 31, and cleaning pipe 32. For example, the valves on the water inlet pipe 30 and water filling pipe 31 are opened when adding water to the cleaning robot, and the valves on the water inlet pipe 30 and cleaning pipe 32 are opened when cleaning the sludge collection box. The valve assembly is, for example, an electric ball valve or a solenoid valve. For example, the valve on the water inlet pipe 30 is an electric ball valve, and the valves on the water inlet pipe 30 and water filling pipe 31 are solenoid valves. Furthermore, in order to regulate the water pressure in the water inlet pipe 30, water filling pipe 31, and cleaning pipe 32, in one embodiment, a water flow switch for regulating the water pressure in the pipes is also configured on each of the water inlet pipe 30, water filling pipe 31, and cleaning pipe 32.

[0066] Please see Figure 7 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the cleaning robot's workstation from a rear view in another embodiment of this application. As shown, the water supply assembly 3 further includes a cleaning gun 33 disposed on one side of the workstation body 1 and connected to the water inlet pipe 30. This allows the cleaning gun 33 to be used to clean the sludge collection box after it is removed, or to clean the cleaning robot (e.g., to clean the robot's outer shell). In one example, the cleaning gun 33 is disposed on the side of the workstation body 1 near the water inlet pipe 30, for example... Figure 7 The water inlet pipe 30 is located on the left side of the workstation body 1, and the cleaning gun 33 is also located on the left side of the workstation body 1 accordingly. The cleaning gun 33 is, for example, a water spray device.

[0067] In one embodiment, for ease of fixing and user handling, a fixing plate 14 is vertically mounted on the workstation body 1, and a clamping part 15 for fixing the cleaning gun 33 is provided on the upper part of the fixing plate 14. The clamping part 15 can be fixedly mounted on the fixing plate 14, or it can be slidably mounted on the fixing plate 14 to accommodate different user heights. In one example, the surface of the clamping part 15 that contacts the cleaning gun 33 has a textured structure or is configured with a non-slip material to prevent the cleaning gun from accidentally slipping off.

[0068] like Figure 7 As shown, a first electrical control space 161 and a second electrical control space 162 are isolated at the top of the workstation body 1. The first electrical control space 161 is used to house a power supply 41, and the second electrical control space 162 is used to house a main control device 42 electrically connected to the charging interface described in the previous embodiment. The power supply 41 is connected to an external power source via a power connector 43 located on the side of the workstation body 1 to supply power to the main control device 42. In one embodiment, as... Figure 7As shown, a partition 163 is horizontally installed at the top of the workstation body 1 to isolate a top space. A cover 164, which houses the water supply pipes, is installed in the top space. The top space on the right side of the cover 164 is designated as the first electrical control space 161, and the top space on the left side of the cover 164 is designated as the second electrical control space 162. In other embodiments, it is not necessary to use a partition and a cover to isolate the first and second electrical control spaces; a portion of the top of the workstation body can be used as the first electrical control space, and the other portion as the second electrical control space.

[0069] The main control device 42 is used to generate work instructions (such as charging instructions, water filling instructions, drainage instructions, cleaning instructions, etc.) to control the various components of the workstation to work in a coordinated manner. For example, the main control device 42 sends a water filling instruction to an auxiliary control device that controls the operation of the sewage discharge component and the water supply component. The auxiliary control device controls the water supply component to add water to the cleaning robot based on the water filling instruction. As another example, after the main control device 42 generates a charging instruction, the power management module on the main control device 42 can charge the cleaning robot.

[0070] In some embodiments, the main control device 42 disclosed in this application includes an interface device, a storage device, and a processing device. The interface device is used for data communication to send and receive data; for example, the main control device 42 communicates with an auxiliary control device. The storage device is used to store at least one program. The processing device is connected to the storage device and the interface device and is used to execute the at least one program to coordinate the storage device and the interface device to generate operating instructions for controlling the workstation. Furthermore, the main control device 42 may also include the power management module.

[0071] Please see Figure 3 and combined Figure 7As shown in the figure, the top of the workstation body 1 is provided with a first sealing plate 1610 that can open the first electrical control space 161 and a second sealing plate 1620 that can open the second electrical control space 162. Specifically, the top of the workstation body 1 has a first viewing window 1611 communicating with the first electrical control space 161 and a second viewing window 1621 communicating with the second electrical control space 162. When the first sealing plate 1610 covers the first viewing window 1611, it can seal the first electrical control space 161. Similarly, when the second sealing plate 1620 covers the second viewing window 1621, it can seal the second electrical control space 162. When the first sealing plate 1610 is opened, the first electrical control space 161 is opened, that is, the first electrical control space 161 is connected to the outside of the workstation body 1 through the first viewing window 1611. Similarly, when the second sealing plate 1620 is opened, the second electrical control space 162 is opened, that is, the second electrical control space 162 is connected to the outside of the workstation body 1 through the second viewing window 1621. In this way, when the user needs to repair the power supply 41 and / or the main control device 42, he / she can simply open the corresponding sealing plate.

[0072] In some embodiments, the first and second enclosure plates are fixedly mounted on the top of the workstation body in a detachable connection manner, or they can be mounted on the top of the workstation body in a door structure manner.

[0073] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 3 and combined Figure 7 As shown in the figure, the second enclosure plate 1620 is provided with an indicator light 16200 that is electrically connected to the main control device 42. The indicator light 16200 is used to indicate the working status of the workstation. Specifically, the display parameters of the indicator light 16200 are different for different working statuses. Examples of the working status of the workstation include charging the cleaning robot, pumping sewage, or adding water.

[0074] In one embodiment, such as Figure 7 As shown, a third electrical control space 165 is provided on one side below the first electrical control space 161. The third electrical control space 165 is used to house an auxiliary control device 44 electrically connected to the main control device 42 to control the operation of the sewage discharge component and the water supply component. For example, the third electrical control space 165 is provided on the right side below the first electrical control space 161. The auxiliary control device is a control board electrically connected to the main control device 42 for directly controlling the operation of the sewage discharge component and the water supply component.

[0075] Please see Figure 8 and combined Figure 7 , Figure 8 This application is displayed. Figure 7The diagram shows the structure of the workstation after removing the right side of the workstation body. As shown, the third electrical control space 165 is equipped with an electrical isolation section 1650, which is used for strong and weak current isolation. Specifically, the electrical isolation section 1650 divides the third electrical control space 165 into a strong current space 1651 corresponding to the power supply wiring 43 and a weak current space 1652 corresponding to the input terminal of the power supply 41.

[0076] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 and combined Figure 7 As shown in the figure, a maintenance door 166, which can be opened or closed with a key, is provided on the workstation body 1 corresponding to the third electrical control space 165. After opening the maintenance door, the user can inspect and maintain the devices and circuits in the third electrical control space 165.

[0077] Leaks may occur in the sewage or water supply components within the workstation. For example, the sludge collection box may leak or seep (e.g., sewage overflows from the collection box due to a malfunction in the level detection mechanism), or there may be leaks in the pipes of the water supply component, leading to water overflowing outside the workstation. To address this, the workstation also includes an overflow detection component (not shown) located on the ground near the workstation body. Upon detecting a liquid overflow, the auxiliary control device can stop the sewage and / or water supply components from operating, or trigger an overflow alarm. In some examples, the overflow detection component may be located on the ground on at least one side of the workstation body. For instance, if the left side of the workstation body is lower, at least one overflow detection component can be installed only on the ground on the left side of the workstation body. Alternatively, at least one overflow detection component can be installed on the ground on the left side of the workstation body, the right side of the workstation body, the front side of the workstation body, and the rear side of the workstation body. It should be noted that, based on the examples in the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can make adaptive adjustments to the number and placement of the overflow detection components.

[0078] In some embodiments, this application also provides a cleaning robot system, which includes a cleaning robot and a workstation.

[0079] The cleaning robot includes a mobile device disposed at the bottom of the cleaning robot, a cleaning device for performing cleaning operations, and a control device for controlling the mobile device and the cleaning device to work together.

[0080] In some embodiments, the mobile device includes drive wheels disposed on opposite sides of the bottom of the cleaning robot chassis. The drive wheels are driven to cause the cleaning robot to perform reciprocating, rotating, or curvilinear movements, such as backward and forward, along a planned trajectory (e.g., a planned path for a cleaning task), or to drive the cleaning robot to adjust its posture. For example, the drive wheels are driven to move the cleaning robot to dock with the workstation. In other embodiments, the mobile device further includes driven wheels located in front of the drive wheels. The driven wheels, together with the drive wheels, maintain the balance of the cleaning robot in motion.

[0081] In some embodiments, the cleaning device includes a brush assembly rotatably disposed at the bottom of a chassis. The brush assembly includes a first brush body that is wetted with clean water to scrub the surface to be cleaned during rotation. Further, the brush assembly may also include a second brush body for sweeping the surface to be cleaned during rotation to roll debris into the robot's trash can.

[0082] In one embodiment, the cleaning device further includes a water spraying structure disposed at the bottom of the cleaning robot. The water spraying structure is connected to the clean water tank of the cleaning robot and is used to spray water to wet the first brush body, so that the first brush body can wash the surface to be cleaned when rotating.

[0083] In one embodiment, the cleaning device further includes a waste collection component disposed at the bottom of the chassis of the cleaning robot and behind the first brush body. This component collects wastewater from the surface to be cleaned, such as liquid left by the first brush body after washing the surface. The wastewater collection component is connected to the built-in storage space of the cleaning robot's wastewater tank, allowing the collected wastewater to be transported to this space.

[0084] In one embodiment, the control device is used to control the mobile device and the cleaning device to work together to perform cleaning operations, and to use navigation technology for positioning, mapping and navigation, or to control the cleaning robot to dock with the workstation to discharge sewage, add clean water, charge, etc.

[0085] In some embodiments, the control device includes a memory and a processor.

[0086] The processor can be used to read and execute computer-readable instructions. In a specific implementation, the processor mainly includes a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and registers. The controller is primarily responsible for instruction decoding and issuing control signals for the operations corresponding to the instructions. The ALU is primarily responsible for performing fixed-point or floating-point arithmetic operations, shift operations, and logical operations, and can also perform address operations and translations. Registers are primarily responsible for storing register operands and intermediate operation results temporarily stored during instruction execution. In a specific implementation, the processor's hardware architecture can be an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), MIPS, ARM, or NP architecture, etc. The number of processors can be one or more; for example, processors can include application processors (APs), modem processors, graphics processing units (GPUs), image signal processors (ISPs), controllers, video codecs, digital signal processors (DSPs), baseband processors, and / or neural network processing units (NPUs), etc. Different processors can be independent devices or integrated into one or more processors.

[0087] The memory, coupled to the processor, stores various software programs and / or multiple sets of instructions (e.g., a software program controlling a cleaning robot to perform a preset number of backward and forward reciprocating movements). In specific implementations, the memory may include high-speed random access memory and may also include non-volatile memory, such as one or more disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid-state storage devices. The memory may store an operating system, such as uCOS, VxWorks, RTLinux, or other embedded operating systems. The memory may also store communication programs that can be used to communicate with smart terminals, electronic devices, one or more servers, or additional devices.

[0088] In some embodiments, the control device further includes at least one interface unit, each interface unit being used to output a visual interface, receive human-computer interaction events generated according to the operation of a technician, etc. For example, the interface unit includes, but is not limited to, serial interfaces such as HDMI or USB interfaces, or parallel interfaces. In one embodiment, the interface unit further includes a network communication unit, which is a device for data transmission using wired or wireless networks, examples of which include, but are not limited to, integrated circuits containing network cards, local area network modules such as WiFi modules or Bluetooth modules, and wide area network modules such as mobile networks.

[0089] The workstation is used to dock with the cleaning robot to provide clean water to the robot and to clean up the wastewater discharged by the robot. The workstation is the same as or similar to the workstation disclosed in any of the foregoing embodiments; please refer to the documentation for... Figures 1 to 8 Any embodiments thereof described herein will not be repeated here.

[0090] In summary, the workstation and cleaning robot system disclosed in this application achieves cleaning of the sludge collection box by setting a sludge suction mechanism in the workstation that can extract sewage from the sludge collection box and a water supply component that can spray clean water to clean the sludge collection box in the workstation, thereby reducing the deposition of solid impurities in the sludge collection box. Furthermore, the sludge collection box can be thoroughly cleaned by pulling it out of the workstation body.

[0091] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the inventive essence and beneficial effects of this application, and are not intended to limit this application. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the principles and scope of this application. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations achieved by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in this application should still be covered by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A workstation for a cleaning robot, characterized in that, include: The workstation body has a water inlet and a waste inlet on its docking surface for docking with the cleaning robot; The sewage discharge assembly includes a sewage collection box disposed on the workstation body to receive sewage discharged by the cleaning robot and a sewage suction mechanism connected to the sewage collection box to extract the sewage out of the workstation. The sewage collection box includes a box body located inside the workstation body and a sewage receiving part extending out of the sewage inlet. The water supply assembly includes an inlet pipe for receiving an external water source, a water filling pipe and a cleaning pipe connecting the inlet pipe, the water filling pipe including a water filling part extending out of the water inlet to add water to the cleaning robot, and the cleaning pipe including a water outlet extending into the box to spray clean water to clean the dirt collection box.

2. The workstation of the cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The box body includes a box bottom and side walls forming a receiving space around the box bottom for containing the sewage. The box bottom has a sloping area, and the water outlet and the sewage pumping mechanism are respectively provided at the top and bottom of the sloping area.

3. The workstation of the cleaning robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bottom of the box also has a flat area that is continuously connected to the bottom of the slope area. The sludge pumping mechanism includes a sludge pump disposed in the flat area and a sludge outlet pipe that connects to the sludge pump and extends out of the workstation body.

4. The workstation of the cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, A pull-out opening is provided on the back of the workstation body. The sludge collection box can be pulled out from the pull-out opening to leave the workstation body or pushed into the workstation body from the pull-out opening and the pull-out opening is closed.

5. The workstation of the cleaning robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The sewage discharge assembly also includes an electrical connection part that is pluggably connected to the auxiliary control device located inside the workstation body and is connected to the sewage pumping mechanism. A support plate is provided on the top of the box, and the electrical connection part is provided on the support plate.

6. The workstation of the cleaning robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, The sludge suction mechanism is housed within the box, and a passageway is provided on the support plate to allow the sludge discharge pipe of the sludge suction mechanism to pass through and extend out of the workstation body.

7. The workstation of the cleaning robot according to claim 6, characterized in that, The workstation body has a pull-out channel on the side corresponding to the sludge suction mechanism. The pull-out channel is used for the sludge discharge pipe of the sludge suction mechanism to pass through when the sludge collection box is pulled out or pushed in.

8. The workstation of the cleaning robot according to claim 7, characterized in that, The support plate is also provided with a vertical plate corresponding to the pull-out channel. The vertical plate is used to fix the sewage pipe and close the pull-out channel.

9. The workstation of the cleaning robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The back of the workstation body is provided with a snap-fit ​​structure corresponding to the pull-out opening for positioning the sludge collection box that is pushed into the workstation body.

10. The workstation of the cleaning robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, The sewage discharge assembly also includes a liquid level detection mechanism, which is connected to the electrical connection part.

11. The workstation of the cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water inlet and the waste inlet are located at the upper and lower parts of the mating surface, respectively, and a charging interface is also provided between the water inlet and the waste inlet.

12. The workstation of the cleaning robot according to claim 11, characterized in that, The top of the workstation body is isolated to form a first electrical control space for setting up the power supply and a second electrical control space for setting up the main control device that is electrically connected to the charging interface. The power supply is connected to an external power source through a power supply cable located on the side of the workstation body to supply power to the main control device.

13. The workstation for the cleaning robot according to claim 12, characterized in that, The top of the workstation body is provided with a first sealing plate that can open the first electrical control space and a second sealing plate that can open the second electrical control space.

14. The workstation of the cleaning robot according to claim 13, characterized in that, The second enclosure plate is equipped with an indicator light that is electrically connected to the main control device.

15. The workstation of the cleaning robot according to claim 12, characterized in that, A third electrical control space is provided on one side below the first electrical control space. The third electrical control space is used to install an auxiliary control device that is electrically connected to the main control device to control the operation of the sewage discharge component and the water supply component.

16. The workstation of the cleaning robot according to claim 15, characterized in that, The third electrical control space is equipped with an electrical isolation unit to isolate strong and weak currents.

17. The workstation of the cleaning robot according to claim 15, characterized in that, The workstation body is equipped with an inspection door that can be opened or closed with a key, corresponding to the third electrical control space.

18. The workstation of the cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water supply assembly also includes a cleaning gun disposed on one side of the workstation body and connected to the water inlet pipe.

19. The workstation of the cleaning robot according to claim 18, characterized in that, A fixing plate is vertically installed on the workstation body, and a clamping part for fixing the cleaning gun is provided on the upper part of the fixing plate.

20. The workstation of the cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an overflow detection component installed on the ground near the workstation body.

21. A cleaning robot system, characterized in that, include: A cleaning robot includes a mobile device disposed at the bottom of the cleaning robot, a cleaning device for performing cleaning operations, and a control device for controlling the mobile device and the cleaning device to work together. The workstation as described in any one of claims 1 to 20 is configured to dock with the cleaning robot to provide clean water to the cleaning robot and to clean up the wastewater discharged by the cleaning robot.

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